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Post by Al on Nov 24, 2017 10:04:11 GMT
With a much larger fanbase. We have to accept that on a good day we will get 3,000 fans whilst on a good day they will get 5-6,000.They are able to pay wages that we currently can't. We don't need to be paying ludicrous amounts like some clubs but we need to be able to pay the average going rate. We require an average gate of 2,100 to break even based on our budget. Wrexham need an average of 3,900. Sums it up there really. We're consistently falling short of that though Danny. |
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Post by superman on Nov 24, 2017 10:09:15 GMT
To me the message was load and clear. Reality has set in. As we are as a club at the moment Conference North is inevitable sooner or later. Both MM and MB were clear that only a further evolution of the club, growing up as MM put it, will make us sustainable at the current level or hopefully above. What was not clear was how or indeed if this can be achieved. MM is clearly doing his best to improve the commercial income but whether he alone can do enough is debatable. I am not convinced that all of the board have fully grasped the seriousness of the choice we now need to make, or if they have, what to do. To be fair some of the new board members seem to be making serious efforts to move us forward. It was implied that letting the inevitable happen and accepting relegation at some stage might in the opinion of some be our choice, and this may well have been discussed at board level if only informally. If that was the choice made, then MB would be gone and I suspect MM as well as a cost cutting exercise. The only way in my opinion to seriously increase revenue is through more bums on seats and in the current climate that is unlikely to happen.
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Post by lookingin on Nov 24, 2017 10:15:44 GMT
Our bugget will be less next season and we already have signed players for next season. Players on two year contracts did anyone ask about about them.
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Post by Lobster on Nov 24, 2017 10:16:09 GMT
We require an average gate of 2,100 to break even based on our budget. Wrexham need an average of 3,900. Sums it up there really. We're consistently falling short of that though Danny. The higher attendances we get against Wrexham and Tranmere should mean we're there or thereabouts in the end though, although god knows what we'll do if either or both of them go up. |
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Post by dmcnally on Nov 24, 2017 10:21:30 GMT
We're consistently falling short of that though Danny. The higher attendances we get against Wrexham and Tranmere should mean we're there or thereabouts in the end though, although god knows what we'll do if either or both of them go up. We’re 55 short of 2,100 with games against Tranmere, Macclesfield etc still to come and if we’re still in this position it’ll probably bring fans in like it did Salisbury at home 2013-14 for example. |
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Post by bing on Nov 24, 2017 10:22:43 GMT
Relegation wouldn't be the end of the world. If anything it'll probably be more lucrative - gate receipts from larger away followings, lots of local affairs to pique the interest etc. I agree. I think I would really enjoy next season if that eventuality did happen. However, we obviously need to make sure it doesn't! It will be very tough - and next season (if we stay up), as another poster mentioned, even tougher, but I do feel that MB is the right man to deliver on a lower budget - bringing in hungry players from lower leagues. |
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Post by Harry Lime on Nov 24, 2017 10:59:02 GMT
No. He is saying that there will be no Sam Hughes type of extra money that could be added to the budget for next season. Therefore, all things staying the same, the budget will be lower by that amount. £80k. So if you thought this season was tough! As I posted a while back, next season will be almost impossible in this division. Unless MM can open new income streams, such as Stagecoach. Or us supporters put our hands on our pockets, it impossible. Unless something changes we will eventually drop to a lower level. Similar to a team in the lower half of the Premier League, you can't compete and over time you get eventually get relegated. Wow very dramatic. Burr got us 12th position with a budget 100k lower than this seasons. Bignot has recruited well with no money so I’ve got faith in him he can recruit a good squad. He seems to work well with a small budget. You might think I'm being dramatic. I'd call it being realistic. Burr got us there somehow. Doubt he could do it again though. The league is more competitive each year. What makes you think a good manager would want to stay here, if he'd have more than double the budget somewhere else. MB wants to be a successful manager. Depends on how you judge success. Staying up this season would be a success given where we are. Next season we, and MB, would want more. |
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Post by Al on Nov 24, 2017 11:02:51 GMT
Wow very dramatic. Burr got us 12th position with a budget 100k lower than this seasons. Bignot has recruited well with no money so I’ve got faith in him he can recruit a good squad. He seems to work well with a small budget. You might think I'm being dramatic. I'd call it being realistic. Burr got us there somehow. Doubt he could do it again though. The league is more competitive each year. What makes you think a good manager would want to stay here, if he'd have more than double the budget somewhere else. MB wants to be a successful manager. Depends on how you judge success. Staying up this season would be a success given where we are. Next season we, and MB, would want more. Burr overspent that budget by around 50k as well.. |
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Post by poolepirate on Nov 24, 2017 11:27:34 GMT
was the number who attended at the Anchor better than previous meetings at the blues bar ?
there were lots of questions asked on this thread which (as posted) were forwarded to neil bellis were many of the questions asked ? (and answered)
i am all in favour of this type of meeting for fans to attend ask questions and feel part of the club they own but i cant help thinking that the club should be more forthcoming with updating fans on lots of issues without having to be prompted by questions at these sort of meetings
of course some matters are commercially sensitive and will not be announced in the public domain but the feeling lingers that communication to the fans is lacking and MM and the board are being selective with what is shared with the fans who own the club
to accept relegation to conference north would be a more realistic level for the club is in my opinion a mistake, we know the CN is getting more competitive with clubs with bigger budgets having a sugar daddy mentality
there are lots of clubs in the national league who survive and nothing more and we should not be "ashamed" to be one of those
we are a club with a long heritage but have to accept that now we are no longer a "big" club but you only have to see the size of the away support to know that the fans have a passion and love for our club COYB
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Post by Al on Nov 24, 2017 12:02:30 GMT
was the number who attended at the Anchor better than previous meetings at the blues bar ? there were lots of questions asked on this thread which (as posted) were forwarded to neil bellis were many of the questions asked ? (and answered) i am all in favour of this type of meeting for fans to attend ask questions and feel part of the club they own but i cant help thinking that the club should be more forthcoming with updating fans on lots of issues without having to be prompted by questions at these sort of meetings of course some matters are commercially sensitive and will not be announced in the public domain but the feeling lingers that communication to the fans is lacking and MM and the board are being selective with what is shared with the fans who own the club to accept relegation to conference north would be a more realistic level for the club is in my opinion a mistake, we know the CN is getting more competitive with clubs with bigger budgets having a sugar daddy mentality there are lots of clubs in the national league who survive and nothing more and we should not be "ashamed" to be one of those we are a club with a long heritage but have to accept that now we are no longer a "big" club but you only have to see the size of the away support to know that the fans have a passion and love for our club COYB Touched on most of it to be honest, regards Stagecoach MM is in advanced talks with them, and will soon be in a position to present to the board for a decision to be made. Whether that decision is made by the board or whether they consult the membership on the decision is down to them alone. Car park wise at Maidenhead game we used approx. 560 out of the 700+ spaces so any development would still leave us on average with around 560 spaces available to use on a matchday. Stagecoach would look to reclaim some of the grass verge in that corner by the second gate which would have minimal impact on our car park space.
Also MM talked a bit about the 100 Club initiative. 100 Companies paying £1,000 each to be part of the club, shared working, etc. Good idea. Had several good meetings with lots of very interested local businesses, expect more on that soon.
Financial Projections, wasn't given. MM said it wasn't the type of question for an informal meeting but says he's working hard to ensure we are covered by the end of the season. Could still do with that figure. I'll keep on at them for the next formal meeting anyway, we could do with a figure based on Lawrence's 'worst case scenario' figures so we have an idea of where we stand.
Bignots Budget - there's to be an initiative launched by big Dave O'Toole, looking at offering experiences for donations. Didn't clarify what this was but said it would be announced asap. Probably along the lines of training days, place in the squad, shirt number etc etc.
Didn't really touch upon the communication side of things particularly with pushing Bignots Budget, match advertisement etc. Mentioned club had got details of people purchasing tickets online for the Wrexham game, which will be added to the Database. No mention though of how this will be used, or indeed when we can expect to see a marketing campaign start pushing everything I and others on here have mentioned.
As per the above, lots of talk about the budget this season and then again moving into next. We won't sell another player for big money like we did with Sam Hughes in the summer, but Bignot is impressed with the like of Tom Crawford, and James Jones both of who said will have a part to play in the rest of the season at some point. Budget is likely to revert back to what it was pre-Hughes sale. So expect us to cut that back by about 70k next season.
Club need to evolve in the way we do business - I personally felt that MM and MB came across very well indeed. Lawrence as well is vital in the operation of the club. MM determined to beat his targets.
Where I feel we lack, going from what I saw and heard last night, was similar leadership and direction within the CFU Board. When asked during the Q&A Session about "what are we doing about the lack of kids in the ground on a matchday" the Chairmans response was about looking at all the data, and he's approached the young lads group behind the goal to bring some ideas into life.
As great as it is getting the youngsters involved, it is, for me anyway, deeply concerning that an elected board collectively seem stumped for ideas to entice people back into the ground.
I think we need to explore this more at the next meeting to be honest.
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Post by dragonslayer on Nov 24, 2017 12:05:09 GMT
The higher attendances we get against Wrexham and Tranmere should mean we're there or thereabouts in the end though, although god knows what we'll do if either or both of them go up. We’re 55 short of 2,100 with games against Tranmere, Macclesfield etc still to come and if we’re still in this position it’ll probably bring fans in like it did Salisbury at home 2013-14 for example. We have already played Macclesfield at home. |
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Post by agl on Nov 24, 2017 12:33:04 GMT
Relegation wouldn't be the end of the world. If anything it'll probably be more lucrative - gate receipts from larger away followings, lots of local affairs to pique the interest etc. I agree. I think I would really enjoy next season if that eventuality did happen. However, we obviously need to make sure it doesn't! It will be very tough - and next season (if we stay up), as another poster mentioned, even tougher, but I do feel that MB is the right man to deliver on a lower budget - bringing in hungry players from lower leagues. We need to aspire to be better than a regional league club. It was fine on the way up but apart from from the odd decent trip to the likes of Stockport I don't relish going to non-segregated grounds and watching us play in front of less than 1,000 people with zero atmosphere. Away days at Tranmere, the Goats, Orient were what it was all about when we were climbing the leagues - are we happy to just let that slip away? I also think some people don't appreciate how hard it will be to ever get back to the national league - National League North is much tougher now than when we were there - look at how Alty and Telford have struggled, while York and Kiddy aren't exactly setting it alight. And please spare a thought for the many Exiles down south who can't get to home games but rely on away trips for their Chester fix. Obviously we have to live within our means and staying up is clearly a big ask but we should fight all the way and not just accept that Chester is a league North club. I'd urge anyone who cares for the club to get on to the office, get hold of a load of raffle tickets and get selling them. |
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Post by Harry Lime on Nov 24, 2017 12:47:31 GMT
was the number who attended at the Anchor better than previous meetings at the blues bar ? there were lots of questions asked on this thread which (as posted) were forwarded to neil bellis were many of the questions asked ? (and answered) i am all in favour of this type of meeting for fans to attend ask questions and feel part of the club they own but i cant help thinking that the club should be more forthcoming with updating fans on lots of issues without having to be prompted by questions at these sort of meetings of course some matters are commercially sensitive and will not be announced in the public domain but the feeling lingers that communication to the fans is lacking and MM and the board are being selective with what is shared with the fans who own the club to accept relegation to conference north would be a more realistic level for the club is in my opinion a mistake, we know the CN is getting more competitive with clubs with bigger budgets having a sugar daddy mentality there are lots of clubs in the national league who survive and nothing more and we should not be "ashamed" to be one of those we are a club with a long heritage but have to accept that now we are no longer a "big" club but you only have to see the size of the away support to know that the fans have a passion and love for our club COYB Touched on most of it to be honest, regards Stagecoach MM is in advanced talks with them, and will soon be in a position to present to the board for a decision to be made. Whether that decision is made by the board or whether they consult the membership on the decision is down to them alone. Car park wise at Maidenhead game we used approx. 560 out of the 700+ spaces so any development would still leave us on average with around 560 spaces available to use on a matchday. Stagecoach would look to reclaim some of the grass verge in that corner by the second gate which would have minimal impact on our car park space.
Also MM talked a bit about the 100 Club initiative. 100 Companies paying £1,000 each to be part of the club, shared working, etc. Good idea. Had several good meetings with lots of very interested local businesses, expect more on that soon.
Financial Projections, wasn't given. MM said it wasn't the type of question for an informal meeting but says he's working hard to ensure we are covered by the end of the season. Could still do with that figure. I'll keep on at them for the next formal meeting anyway, we could do with a figure based on Lawrence's 'worst case scenario' figures so we have an idea of where we stand.
Bignots Budget - there's to be an initiative launched by big Dave O'Toole, looking at offering experiences for donations. Didn't clarify what this was but said it would be announced asap. Probably along the lines of training days, place in the squad, shirt number etc etc.
Didn't really touch upon the communication side of things particularly with pushing Bignots Budget, match advertisement etc. Mentioned club had got details of people purchasing tickets online for the Wrexham game, which will be added to the Database. No mention though of how this will be used, or indeed when we can expect to see a marketing campaign start pushing everything I and others on here have mentioned.
As per the above, lots of talk about the budget this season and then again moving into next. We won't sell another player for big money like we did with Sam Hughes in the summer, but Bignot is impressed with the like of Tom Crawford, and James Jones both of who said will have a part to play in the rest of the season at some point. Budget is likely to revert back to what it was pre-Hughes sale. So expect us to cut that back by about 70k next season.
Club need to evolve in the way we do business - I personally felt that MM and MB came across very well indeed. Lawrence as well is vital in the operation of the club. MM determined to beat his targets.
Where I feel we lack, going from what I saw and heard last night, was similar leadership and direction within the CFU Board. When asked during the Q&A Session about "what are we doing about the lack of kids in the ground on a matchday" the Chairmans response was about looking at all the data, and he's approached the young lads group behind the goal to bring some ideas into life.
As great as it is getting the youngsters involved, it is, for me anyway, deeply concerning that an elected board collectively seem stumped for ideas to entice people back into the ground.
I think we need to explore this more at the next meeting to be honest.
Regarding the financial projections, if I remember correctly Lawrence said at the previous meeting that we were around £5k under budget for 3 or 4 games prior to JMc leaving. Presume that the difference between 1500 and 2100. Given that we were £20k under budget at that point. Unless crowds come back up then we'll continue to drop by that amount each game. 10 games like that would mean £50k under budget. Meaning another drop in budget for next season. Logically this won't happen, but is Lawrence's worst case scenario you mentioned. |
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Post by dmcnally on Nov 24, 2017 12:55:07 GMT
We’re 55 short of 2,100 with games against Tranmere, Macclesfield etc still to come and if we’re still in this position it’ll probably bring fans in like it did Salisbury at home 2013-14 for example. We have already played Macclesfield at home. You’re correct, couldn’t make that game so forget. Still Hartlepool and Orient to play too who will bring good followings. |
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Post by Al on Nov 24, 2017 12:58:27 GMT
We have already played Macclesfield at home. You’re correct, couldn’t make that game so forget. Still Hartlepool and Orient to play too who will bring good followings. You hope. Edit. Orient game is at home on Tuesday 20th Feb. Kiss goodbye to any decent away following kid |
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Post by Si on Nov 24, 2017 13:00:42 GMT
With regards to the crowds, you'd hope that this will pick up given that the brand of football Bignot has us playing is significantly more watchable than McCarthy's hiding in our own half approach. Time will tell whether results come from that, but I turn up to games these days knowing that we'll at least have a go. The damage caused by McCarthy's brand will take some time to repair.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2017 14:24:30 GMT
I have noticed that Wrexham have been advertising their half season tickets and fundraiser activities. We just need to get things going.
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Post by Jack on Nov 24, 2017 15:48:55 GMT
You’re correct, couldn’t make that game so forget. Still Hartlepool and Orient to play too who will bring good followings. You hope. Edit. Orient game is at home on Tuesday 20th Feb. Kiss goodbye to any decent away following kid Your patronising tone when talking to Danny is embarrassing. We get it, he’s younger than you. Well done. |
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Post by Al on Nov 24, 2017 15:55:46 GMT
You hope. Edit. Orient game is at home on Tuesday 20th Feb. Kiss goodbye to any decent away following kid Your patronising tone when talking to Danny is embarrassing. We get it, he’s younger than you. Well done. I'm not trying to patronise him actually
You on the other hand...
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Post by cooperman on Nov 24, 2017 16:20:45 GMT
I have noticed that Wrexham have been advertising their half season tickets and fundraiser activities. We just need to get things going. we had a really good fundraising team which I was a member off, unfortunately the board treated us as playthings, wouldn't back 99% of our ideas, wouldn't spend money to make money, you reap what you sow as a business and that's why cfc are where they are |
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Post by Maravilla on Nov 24, 2017 17:18:13 GMT
I personally don't buy this level of doom and gloom. I appreciate that the board and the CEO have to make us aware of the financial restrictions we face as a football club - we know them as well as they do - but money isn't everything. The words "budget" and "financial ceiling" kept getting used again and again tonight as de facto excuses for us to be perennial relegation fodder. And yet at the same time, they are going on about Wrexham having a £900,000 a year budget and Eastleigh having a budget of over £2,000,000 a year. They were seemingly unaware that Wrexham are top of the league whilst Eastleigh are merely a few points ahead of us. We desperately, as a club, need to move away from this idea that money is the only thing that matters and that every single extra penny raised MUST at all costs go into the playing budget. It patently isn't as simple as that and we are now paying the price for having had this attitude for far too long - throwing good money after bad, chasing impossible dreams whilst we allow our infrastructure to crumble around us. The fact that Bignot had to stop himself midway through saying that the decision to pump all of the Sam Hughes money into the playing budget was business suicide speaks volumes. Absolutely spot on. There were a few words we kept hearing last night - 'choice', 'financial ceiling'. One thing I didn't hear was ambition. And this is where I have a real problem, which has been a problem for a long time at our club now. And I say all this with the caveat that this season it is all about staying up, with thanks to Jon McCarthy for this. But... Mark Maguire was talking about it last night - 'we should be thankful to stay in this league', 'we've got a tiny budget' - the same stuff Lawrence Kirby says at every meeting. We only need to look down the road to our neighbours to see how they are so different to us. Wrexham don't have the biggest budget in this league - there are several with bigger - Eastleigh, being one of them. But what do Wrexham want and aim for every year? Promotion. They're ambitious. And do you know what the most successful people are in sport and in all walks of life? Ambitious. And I think that all plays a part in how Wrexham do better than us with things like the squad builders. Of course, the way they go about it is better and they communicate it much better - and we need to learn from them - but their fans have something to buy into, something positive. Positivity and ambition generates interest and excitement, and people get behind the cause. We need to get away from this idea that we are lucky to be in this league, that we are lucky to stay up, and that we are lucky to be competing with Wrexham. One reason we need to is because you know what, that attitude seeps through the club. From the board, down to the CFU members, to the fans. It's hard enough to get people into the ground on a match day anyway, but its even harder when people perceive us as a small fish in a big pond, and that year after year we should just be thankful to stay in the league. That might be enough for some people, but I'm sorry for me it just isn't. Bignot was right in what he said last night - we are a big club at this level - but we need to start acting like it. I'm not saying we should be aiming for promotion, but lets have a little bit more ambition than just accepting we should be in a dogfight year in year out to stay in the league. Clubs like Macclesfield could have the same attitude as us, but they don't - and year in, year out, they overachieve. To his credit, Marcus Bignot does have ambition. I hope it rubs off on the others around him. I think we have the right man in charge here, regardless of what happens this season. But if we don't get away from this tin pot, negative attitude, we won't hold onto him for long. |
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Post by Si on Nov 24, 2017 17:45:45 GMT
I personally don't buy this level of doom and gloom. I appreciate that the board and the CEO have to make us aware of the financial restrictions we face as a football club - we know them as well as they do - but money isn't everything. The words "budget" and "financial ceiling" kept getting used again and again tonight as de facto excuses for us to be perennial relegation fodder. And yet at the same time, they are going on about Wrexham having a £900,000 a year budget and Eastleigh having a budget of over £2,000,000 a year. They were seemingly unaware that Wrexham are top of the league whilst Eastleigh are merely a few points ahead of us. We desperately, as a club, need to move away from this idea that money is the only thing that matters and that every single extra penny raised MUST at all costs go into the playing budget. It patently isn't as simple as that and we are now paying the price for having had this attitude for far too long - throwing good money after bad, chasing impossible dreams whilst we allow our infrastructure to crumble around us. The fact that Bignot had to stop himself midway through saying that the decision to pump all of the Sam Hughes money into the playing budget was business suicide speaks volumes. Absolutely spot on. There were a few words we kept hearing last night - 'choice', 'financial ceiling'. One thing I didn't hear was ambition. And this is where I have a real problem, which has been a problem for a long time at our club now. And I say all this with the caveat that this season it is all about staying up, with thanks to Jon McCarthy for this. But... Mark Maguire was talking about it last night - 'we should be thankful to stay in this league', 'we've got a tiny budget' - the same stuff Lawrence Kirby says at every meeting. We only need to look down the road to our neighbours to see how they are so different to us. Wrexham don't have the biggest budget in this league - there are several with bigger - Eastleigh, being one of them. But what do Wrexham want and aim for every year? Promotion. They're ambitious. And do you know what the most successful people are in sport and in all walks of life? Ambitious. And I think that all plays a part in how Wrexham do better than us with things like the squad builders. Of course, the way they go about it is better and they communicate it much better - and we need to learn from them - but their fans have something to buy into, something positive. Positivity and ambition generates interest and excitement, and people get behind the cause. We need to get away from this idea that we are lucky to be in this league, that we are lucky to stay up, and that we are lucky to be competing with Wrexham. One reason we need to is because you know what, that attitude seeps through the club. From the board, down to the CFU members, to the fans. It's hard enough to get people into the ground on a match day anyway, but its even harder when people perceive us as a small fish in a big pond, and that year after year we should just be thankful to stay in the league. That might be enough for some people, but I'm sorry for me it just isn't. Bignot was right in what he said last night - we are a big club at this level - but we need to start acting like it. I'm not saying we should be aiming for promotion, but lets have a little bit more ambition than just accepting we should be in a dogfight year in year out to stay in the league. Clubs like Macclesfield could have the same attitude as us, but they don't - and year in, year out, they overachieve. To his credit, Marcus Bignot does have ambition. I hope it rubs off on the others around him. I think we have the right man in charge here, regardless of what happens this season. But if we don't get away from this tin pot, negative attitude, we won't hold onto him for long. Some great points there. Burr and McCarthy instilled the philosophy of being grateful for where we are and consequently it has hindered realistic ambitions. Should a club like ourselves just settle for survival every year at this level? No, but those blokes thought we should. Nobody is expecting a full on promotion charge but we should be setting realistic goals and the next step (should we stay up) should be a top half finish next season and good go at progressing in cup competitions. We don't sell this club if the mindset is finishing 5th bottom is a success. |
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Post by tarvinblue on Nov 24, 2017 17:50:22 GMT
I have noticed that Wrexham have been advertising their half season tickets and fundraiser activities. We just need to get things going. we had a really good fundraising team which I was a member off, unfortunately the board treated us as playthings, wouldn't back 99% of our ideas, wouldn't spend money to make money, you reap what you sow as a business and that's why cfc are where they are And there lies the problem. How do you win back so many disenchanted fans who have not been listened to by previous iterations of the board? It's easy to lose trust but it takes a long time to rebuild it. It needs a real figurehead and someone who can galvanise the support. Our current chairman seemed a decent bloke last night but he didn't strike me as a figurehead. I wasn't sure whether he was going to cry or explode when he was asked the question about the prices in the away refreshment bar. MM stepped in and saved the day. That little cameo summed up how I see the board at present. |
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Post by superman on Nov 24, 2017 19:39:02 GMT
Not sure if I'd want to laugh or cry with despair if I'd organised a fan's forum and with all the serious issues about the club someone asked about the price of tea in the away end. However what was interesting was that the powers that be are seemingly afraid to make it also £2 in the home refreshment area because everyone will moan. Says it all really. Board need to grow some and make adult decisions, that's what they are elected to do.
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Post by norwegianblue on Nov 24, 2017 21:10:37 GMT
I went last night and felt that all parties tried to paint an honest reflection of the situation. There were some hard hitting messages but the reality is that our model in its current form is not going to allow us to have the budget to take on two thirds of this division. That's more to do with the ludicrous spending of others, rather than our model in general, but if we are to compete then MM has to raise substantial investment commercially. When it comes to our model of ownership it is perhaps worth pointing out that a certain club with an identical model of ownership just down the road is currently 2 points clear at the top of the table... And one of the clubs that are two points behind are not exactly flush either and they had half the side leave at the end of last season. Some of them to us . . . . . . . |
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Post by Harry Lime on Nov 24, 2017 23:01:11 GMT
Not sure if I'd want to laugh or cry with despair if I'd organised a fan's forum and with all the serious issues about the club someone asked about the price of tea in the away end. However what was interesting was that the powers that be are seemingly afraid to make it also £2 in the home refreshment area because everyone will moan. Says it all really. Board need to grow some and make adult decisions, that's what they are elected to do. Agree with this. To be fair it was just one person, and it was the last question of the night at around 10:15. Had it been asked earlier, I would have been tempted to have a go and ask if the person concerned had been listening to any of the previous 2 1/2 hours. But it was late. I was tired. The person concerned was female. So thought it best to bite my tongue. Suspect our Chairman thought the same. Sometimes I wonder if some of our supporters actually leave the house, except to go to home games! Last time they went out you could get a couple of pints, a bag of fish and chips, get the bus home and still have change from a fiver. Someone did actually say that without the higher price we would actually lose money from the away kiosk at some games as so few away supporters turn up. Bear in mind we have to pay someone to staff it. As the poster says, make an adult decision. |
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Post by dmcnally on Nov 25, 2017 0:23:01 GMT
I have noticed that Wrexham have been advertising their half season tickets and fundraiser activities. We just need to get things going. we had a really good fundraising team which I was a member off, unfortunately the board treated us as playthings, wouldn't back 99% of our ideas, wouldn't spend money to make money, you reap what you sow as a business and that's why cfc are where they are Painful reading this. A fundraising committee is crucial to a fan-owned club imo. Maybe with the restructure, new board members with designated roles to achieve targets (one being fundraising) they could give the committee another go? |
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Post by dmcnally on Nov 25, 2017 0:29:13 GMT
Absolutely spot on. There were a few words we kept hearing last night - 'choice', 'financial ceiling'. One thing I didn't hear was ambition. And this is where I have a real problem, which has been a problem for a long time at our club now. And I say all this with the caveat that this season it is all about staying up, with thanks to Jon McCarthy for this. But... Mark Maguire was talking about it last night - 'we should be thankful to stay in this league', 'we've got a tiny budget' - the same stuff Lawrence Kirby says at every meeting. We only need to look down the road to our neighbours to see how they are so different to us. Wrexham don't have the biggest budget in this league - there are several with bigger - Eastleigh, being one of them. But what do Wrexham want and aim for every year? Promotion. They're ambitious. And do you know what the most successful people are in sport and in all walks of life? Ambitious. And I think that all plays a part in how Wrexham do better than us with things like the squad builders. Of course, the way they go about it is better and they communicate it much better - and we need to learn from them - but their fans have something to buy into, something positive. Positivity and ambition generates interest and excitement, and people get behind the cause. We need to get away from this idea that we are lucky to be in this league, that we are lucky to stay up, and that we are lucky to be competing with Wrexham. One reason we need to is because you know what, that attitude seeps through the club. From the board, down to the CFU members, to the fans. It's hard enough to get people into the ground on a match day anyway, but its even harder when people perceive us as a small fish in a big pond, and that year after year we should just be thankful to stay in the league. That might be enough for some people, but I'm sorry for me it just isn't. Bignot was right in what he said last night - we are a big club at this level - but we need to start acting like it. I'm not saying we should be aiming for promotion, but lets have a little bit more ambition than just accepting we should be in a dogfight year in year out to stay in the league. Clubs like Macclesfield could have the same attitude as us, but they don't - and year in, year out, they overachieve. To his credit, Marcus Bignot does have ambition. I hope it rubs off on the others around him. I think we have the right man in charge here, regardless of what happens this season. But if we don't get away from this tin pot, negative attitude, we won't hold onto him for long. Some great points there. Burr and McCarthy instilled the philosophy of being grateful for where we are and consequently it has hindered realistic ambitions. Should a club like ourselves just settle for survival every year at this level? No, but those blokes thought we should. Nobody is expecting a full on promotion charge but we should be setting realistic goals and the next step (should we stay up) should be a top half finish next season and good go at progressing in cup competitions. We don't sell this club if the mindset is finishing 5th bottom is a success. Our first aim is to stay up. Then to get closer towards mid table. Maguire told me he wanted to build the foundations this season to launch a charge towards promotion next season, to shout about that ambition during season ticket sales in the summer. Obviously that’s taken a hit with the fact we’ve now got a different manager and in a bit of a mess. But there is ambition there. If we stay up and Bignot can steady the ship with a respectable finish next season then I can assure you Bignot, Maguire and the board will be showing they ambition we all want to see. |
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Post by johny9 on Nov 25, 2017 7:02:57 GMT
We need to somehow get around the college’s, university, schools , big workplaces ie money supermarket, MBNA , airbus etc with notices on boards or Flyers to advertise games , offers for tickets and ways to buy them online etc . Get Dee 106.3 to turn up the advertising a couple of notches for us , maybe with the free local papers include flyers with offers etc?
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Post by Al on Nov 25, 2017 7:13:35 GMT
we had a really good fundraising team which I was a member off, unfortunately the board treated us as playthings, wouldn't back 99% of our ideas, wouldn't spend money to make money, you reap what you sow as a business and that's why cfc are where they are Painful reading this. A fundraising committee is crucial to a fan-owned club imo. Maybe with the restructure, new board members with designated roles to achieve targets (one being fundraising) they could give the committee another go? Fully agree. Fundraising committee HAS to be relaunched asap for a self funding fan owned club. But they also need the freedom and support of the board and staff to make their ideas a reality. Correct me if I am wrong also but it I think the last fundraising team met once a month? Needs to be far more regular tbh, like once a week/fortnight. That way we can keep on top of things. Focus doesn't slip. |
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